Flying-machine supporting-plane.



J. G. & F. STITES.

FLYING MACHINE SUPPORTING PLANE.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 24, 1910.

965,491 Patehted July 26, 1910.

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35 feet in plan.

UNITED STATES PATENT tTti FitClil.

JOHN G. STITES, OF WILLOWBROOK, AND FRANK STI'IES, OF LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA.,

FLYING-MACHINE SUPPORTING-PLANE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed March 24, 1910. Serial No. 551,312.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, J OHN G. STITEs and FRANK Srrrss, citizens of the United States,

residing at Willowbrook, California, and Los Angeles, California, respectively, have t invented a new and useful Flying-Machine Supporting-Plane, of which the following is a specification.

Our object is to construct an improved supporting plane to be used either in monoplane or bi-plane flying machines, and our invention consists of the novel features here-. in shown, described and claimed.

In the drawings: Figure 1 is a top plan view of a flying machine supporting plane Fig. 3 is a side elevation as seen looking in the direction indicated by the arrow 3 in 'Figs. 1 and 2. Fig. 4 is an enlarged fragi'nental plan showing the details of construction. Fig. 5 IS a cross section on the line 55 of Fig. 4:.

Referring to the drawings in detail the flying machine supporting planes 1 and 2 are or may be exact duplicates and the details of construction are shown in Figs. 1, 4

and 5. The supporting planes are preferably threetimes as large crosswise of the line of travel as they are lengthwise of the line of travel and for a small machine they would be about eight feet by twenty-four The rafters 3 and 4: are set parallel about six feet apart and the ridge pole is intermediate ofthe rafters and parallel therewith. sheet 6 large enough to cover the entire area it) of the plane and pockets 7, 8 and 9 are formed by sewing strips under the canvas in positions to receive the rafters and 4 and the ridge pole 5, and pockets 10 are formed by sewing strips on top of the canvas crosswise ofthe pockets 7, 8 and E) to the ridge pole l1 and 12. The rafter 3 is set at the extreme edge of the proposed plane, the ridge pole 5 is set about two feet from the rafter 3, and the rafter -1- is set about four feet from the ridge pole. After the timbers constituting the rafters 3 and 1, the ridge pole 5 and the ribs 11 and 12 have The canvas consists of a I been inserted into the pockets of the canvas they may be nailed together by nailing through the canvas, or openings may be made for the insertion of the nails to suit the fancy of the constructor. Gables 13 are inserted at. each side of the plane, that is, crosswise of the ends of the ridge pole and rafters so as to hold the ridge pole 5 the desired height above the level of the rafters 3 and 4, and in an eight by twenty-four foot plane, the ridge pole 5 will be elevated about four or six inches. Any desired form of truss rods and braces may be employed to strengthen the plane thus constructed.

In Fig. 2 posts 14 and 15 are inserted vertically near the center running line to carry the power mechanism et cetera and posts 16 and 17 are inserted at the ends of the rafters and ridge poles, and posts 18 and 19 are inserted half way between the center posts and the end posts. The distance between the planes may be varied to suit.

Herctofore constructors of flying machine supporting planes have gone to a great deal of trouble and expense to make the planes of various curvatures in cross section to suit their ideas of efficiency et cetera, but We have found from actual experience that a plane consisting of two fiat surfaces sloping each way from a ridge pole as we have shown and described possesses every element of eiliciency required in a flying machine.

.Ve claim:

1. A flying machine supporting plane comprising a canvas having side and intermediate longitudinal. and transverse pockets, .rafters inserted into the side longitudinal pockets, a ridge pole inserted into the interinectliate longitudinal pocket and ribs inserted into the transverse pockets and secured to the ridge" pole and rafters, said ridgepole beingglabove the level of the rafters so as to form an angular plane, the angle extending ftransverse of the line of travel.

2. A flying machine supporting plane comprising two substantially parallel planesv mounted one above the other, each plane comprising a canvas having side and intermediate longitudinal and transverse pockets. rafters inserted into the side longitudinal pockets, a ridge pole inserted into the inter- Patented July 26,1910.

mediate longitudinal pocket and ribs in posts inserted Verticallyat the ends of the serted into the transverse pockets and serafters and at the ends of the ridge poles.

cured to the ridge pole and rafters, said JOHN G. 'STITES. ridge pole being above the level of the raft- FRANK STITES. ers so as to form an angular plane, the angle Witnesses:

extending transverse of the line of travel, IDA iM. DASKAM,

said planes 'being connected together by C. J lVI'LLIAMs. 

